1. Field of the Invention
The subject invention relates to control panels having a flat panel graphic user interface (GUI). The invention further relates to a remote control having such a control panel.
2. Description of the Related Art
Consumer electronics devices are often provided with remote control units for controlling the device from the comfort of one's easy chair. These remote control units typically are rectangular in shape and carry a plurality of buttons for operating the various control functions of the electronic devices.
However, as the user acquires more and more devices, these remote control units start to accumulate leaving an array of remote control units on the user's coffee table with the problem of selecting the appropriate remote control unit for controlling the desired device.
This problem has been addressed with universal remote control units which either include or may be programmed with the codes for controlling a plurality of different devices in a plurality of different device categories. As such, a user of such a universal remote control unit may control his/her stereo system, television receiver, video cassette recorder, DVD player, CD player, cable box, satellite receiver, etc., using the one universal remote control unit.
Quite naturally, it has now become a feat to design such a universal remote control unit which can be intuitively used to control all of these devices.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,956,025 discloses a remote control unit with 3D organized graphic user interface (GUI) for a home entertainment system which includes a GUI in the form of, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD) with touch sensitivity in which various icons are displayed on the GUI and represent various control functions which the user selects in order to operate the various control functions of the various devices.
FIGS. 1 and 2 show an example of a remote control unit having such a GUI in the form of a touch sensitive LCD, which is marketed by Philips Electronics. As shown in FIG. 1, this remote control unit 10 includes an infrared transmitter for transmitting infrared control signals to the devices to be controlled. The remote control unit 10 includes a plurality of hard switches including a “MUTE” button 14, channel “UP” (16) and “DOWN” (18) buttons, volume “UP” (20) and volume “DOWN” (22) buttons, “RIGHT” (24) and “LEFT” (26) buttons for moving a cursor, and a “BACKLIGHT” button (28). The remote control unit 10 further includes a GUI in the form of a liquid crystal display 30 which displays various control icons for the device to be controlled. As shown in FIG. 1, the controlled device is a television receiver and the control icons include, e.g., “ON” (32) and the number “1” (34).
FIG. 2 shows the remote control unit 10 of FIG. 1, now set to control a DVD player, and has various control icons, e.g., “ON” (32), “REWIND” (36), and “PLAY” (38).
However, one problem with these types of remote control units is that it is necessary for the user to look at the remote control unit in order to operate it. While this may not be a problem when using the remote control unit to operate an audio device, such as, a CD player, when the user is watching television, in many cases, the illumination in the room is dimmed to enhance the picture. As such, it is then difficult to discern the markings on the display of the remote control unit. While, for example, the remote control unit 10 of FIGS. 1 and 2 includes the button 28 for activating a back light for the display, the user still must take his/her eyes off of the television in order to reliably operate the remote control unit.